


Whisper on the Wind

by Oricalle



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Flash Fic, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hoshido | Birthright Route, Past Character Death, Post-Canon, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:14:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29014158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oricalle/pseuds/Oricalle
Summary: Selena and Odin bid farewell to a fallen friend.
Comments: 10
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So yesterday I posted this Tweet:
> 
> "I was today years old when I realized that, in Birthright, assuming you defeat all named enemies, Odin and Selena live, while Laslow dies.
> 
> WOW THAT'S AN OUCH AND A HALF"
> 
> This is what ended up coming of that.

The rains of Windmire fell heavily onto the carriage’s canvas covering, creating a steady percussion that beat around Selena like an otherworldly song. She breathed in deeply, letting the sound fade into the background with the others.

The horses sniffled and neighed as they trot along the forest path.

Her sword clattered in its scabbard, slung carefully over her back.

And though it made no sound, she could only think of the urn that sat in the seat beside her.

It wasn’t like Inigo to be so quiet.

Upon arriving at her destination, she slid from the carriage’s driver’s seat, reaching back only to take the urn from its spot.

She supposed that most would call it a “beautiful piece”, made of the Kingdom of Nohr’s finest ceramics. A painted pattern ran across it, all purple chevrons and intertwined flowers. It reminded her of something the Duke of Rosanne would have decorating one of his teacups, though the memory stung as it dragged itself across her mind.

Annoyed, she pulled it close to her chest with one arm, using the other to send the carriage back the way it came, riderless and empty.

Who gave a damn about how pretty it was when it was filled with what was left of her friend?

As she reached the hilltop, Selena noticed a familiar sight.

Several stumps dotted the grass, once towering trees worn away by time and weather. When they had first come here, a field of flowers had been blooming around them.

_“It’s a sign.” Inigo had said, a smirk on his face as he propped one leg up on a stump. By the time Owain and Severa had finished climbing up behind him, he’d already pressed a white bloom into his hair. “Nature is smiling on us to accomplish our mission, even in this world. We’ve nothing to fear.”_

The flowers were gone now, nothing left in their place but mud. A hooded figure sat atop one of the stumps, his brown cloak soaked with rain. As Selena approached, he waved a hand.

“A more dour evening than expected.” he mused. “And yet we have both arrived upon the appointed hour.”

Selena sighed, her face scrunched up into a frown as she approached the man.

“I was here at the right time. **You** decided to show up early and get soaked.”

She swatted at his hood with her free hand, knocking it back to glare him in the eyes.

Odin grimaced, climbing to his feet before her. “Shortsighted as always, I see! What if there had been scheming brigands lying in wait, or wandering feral beasts, or-”

“Owain.”

Speaking that name aloud was enough to stop him in his tracks. He met Selena’s eyes, silent and waiting.

“That’s enough.”

He visibly deflated, his grandiose posture gone as quickly as it had come.

“Right. Sorry.” His gaze landed on the urn, tucked under Selena’s arm, and they were both silent.

Though the downpour had stopped, wind still howled through the treetops of Windmire Forest. Crickets and locusts sung mournful, lonely tunes in the dark, the light of the stars above too dim to reach them. 

“So…” Owain began. “Have you made a decision, Severa?”

It had been so long since she heard her real name aloud. It set Severa’s teeth on edge as she nodded her head.

“I have. But let’s do this first.”

Together, they both walked to the edge of the hill. From there, looking out over the bushy greens of the treetops, the shape of Windmire was easy to see on the horizon. Distant torchlight lit the city’s outline, framing the shape of its walls. If she squinted her eyes, Severa could just make out the pit that housed Castle Krakenburg.

She did her best to avert her gaze, turning to Owain with an eyebrow raised. He breathed in slowly, his head tilted back towards the stars, and nodded.

Twisting, she removed the urn’s lid, and tipped it into the wind.

This wasn’t Laslow’s first funeral, but it would be Inigo’s only one.

_The ceremony was lavish, draped in all the finery of a Nohrian royal occasion. The purple ceramic had been set upon a silver plinth, one of two that flanked a larger urn. As a line of noble mourners filtered towards it, paying their last respects to Nohr’s fallen prince, Selena could only watch from behind the display._

_She glanced at her mistress in the chair behind her, but Camilla seemed not to notice. The princess sat unmoving, her eyes glazed over as if she were made of wax. She stared at Xander’s urn like it was the only thing in the room._

The wind picked up the ashes as they fell, taking them far away as it whipped through the evening sky. Inigo had never been the type to want to stand still, after all.

“We’re going home.” Severa said, her mind made up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It should be noted, I think, that this is only about half of what I intended for this fic. I wanted to have it end after a section where Serena and Odin talk about what they're leaving behind (a Camilla shattered over her inability to protect her siblings and a Leo thrust suddenly into the position of ruling a wartorn Nohr), but I couldn't quite get that done in a way that I thought was natural and didn't disrupt the flow and focus of the ficlet. I'd may end up revisiting that, and if I end up writing it, I'll append it to this fic as a second chapter.
> 
> I wanted to do a little something for Fates today, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Any feedback is very welcome, as I'm always excited to receive and read it. You can find me on Twitter @Oricalle.
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful day!


	2. Chapter 2

For a moment, they were silent, the weight of Severa’s declaration hanging in the air between them. It was as if both were waiting for someone else to speak, but the empty urn sat as a reminder that such a thing was impossible.

“Lady Camilla?” Owain finally asked.

A pang of guilt gnashed in Severa’s head.

“She’ll be alright. She’s stronger than she looks.” She inhaled slowly as she turned, beginning to walk back towards the center of the hilltop. “There’s nothing left that I can do for her.”

_”Lady Camilla?”_

_Selena’s knuckles rapped again at the towering wooden door. Harsh shadows kept the hallway bathed in darkness, even at midday. Frustrated, she pressed her ear to the door, drawing back quickly when she heard faint footsteps from the other side._

_The door cracked open, creaking on its ancient hinges. Though it was dark inside, Selena could just make out the details of Princess Camilla’s face as she peered out at her._

_Her skin was sallow, her hair unmade as it clung to her forehead. Selena could scarcely recall a time the Princess of Nohr had looked less vivacious than this, her typical grin replaced with an empty frown._

_“Selena?”_

_Her voice sounded little better, barely above a whisper, as if the word hurt coming out. Judging by the tearstains under her eyes, it likely did._

_Selena’s heart sunk at the sight of her lady in such a state, but it was nothing new. The months since the deaths of her brother and sister showed no sign of healing her._

_“His Highness is opening the peace garden the Hoshidans funded today.” Selena said._

_Camilla didn’t respond._

_“He told me there’s going to be a section devoted to Princess Elise. Full of all of her favorites.” Selena coughed, unsure of how to continue. “I’m sure he would love to see you there.”_

_She reached out into the bedroom, and Camilla drew back into the shadows._

_“I’m afraid I’m not feeling up to it. My apologies.” she replied. With a rustling sound from within, Camilla pressed something cold and metallic into Selena’s palm. As she drew it back, she found an empty plate with a fork balanced on it._

_“Would you please take this to the kitchens, with my thanks?”_

_Selena looked down at the dish, frowning._

_“Lady Camilla, I...I brought you this yesterday. Have you eaten tod-”_

_When she looked back up, the door was closed once more._

Severa’s fingers tightened around a small decorative chain attached to her scabbard. It had been a gift, from a woman who was fading away to one who had never really existed in the first place. Guilt flooded her as she twisted her digits within it, the metal links catching as if they were begging her to stay. Slowly, she detached it and let it drop to the earth below.

Owain, the gesture not lost on him, gave her a look somewhere between pity and scorn, but she fired back just as quickly. 

“What of Prince… _King_ Leo?”

The question was enough to put Owain on the back foot. He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“I left a sealed message with Niles. Told him to open it with His Highness if I didn’t return the day after tomorrow.” He chuckled quietly. “I am glad that I told him I was leaving tomorrow. He would have surely followed me, otherwise.”

Owain craned his neck to look over his shoulder, as if checking for pursuers. He looked almost disappointed to find none.

“So…” Severa said, a chill running through her bones, “Are you ready to go home?”

Owain hesitated. “ _Which_...home?”

With a huff, Severa crossed her arms. “I...think the one with our families. There’s nothing left…” She swallowed. “ _There._ ”

Though he was silent, Owain’s nod was enough to tell her that he agreed with her. Somewhere in the distance, one of Nohr’s nocturnal birds let out a shriek.

Again, the two of them waited for a third voice.

Rummaging within the pockets in his cloak, Owain began searching for something. As his vision was directed away from her, Severa did the same. She retrieved a sealed envelope, slipped it beneath the urn’s heavy base, and dropped both on top of the discarded chain.

Though she would leave, she would ensure there was something for Beruka to find. Her last attempt to reach Camilla.

With a flourish, Owain finally revealed his prize. The faint crystal orb that had been given to them both, so long ago, rested in his palm. It looked almost fragile, rolling slightly in the man’s grip.

Severa took in a deep breath, looking out at the city of Windmire one final time. 

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready.”

She pressed her fingers against the ball and pressed it into Owain’s palm, each of them in contact with it as it began to hum.

In a flash of light, they were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Super Secret Author's Notes:
> 
> \- Beruka finds the urn, and what's beneath it, within two days.
> 
> Upon thinking it over a little, this is the finale I came up with. While I'm not entirely pleased with it, (I would have liked to do more with Leo but couldn't figure out how to sequence it with Severa's POV without doing a sudden and somewhat jarring swap) I'm happy to have been able to return to this flash fic and append a second part to it. I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> I'd love to hear your feedback, comments make my day, and I sincerely hope that yours is lovely. Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> It should be noted, I think, that this is only about half of what I intended for this fic. I wanted to have it end after a section where Serena and Odin talk about what they're leaving behind (a Camilla shattered over her inability to protect her siblings and a Leo thrust suddenly into the position of ruling a wartorn Nohr), but I couldn't quite get that done in a way that I thought was natural and didn't disrupt the flow and focus of the ficlet. I'd may end up revisiting that, and if I end up writing it, I'll append it to this fic as a second chapter.
> 
> I wanted to do a little something for Fates today, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. Any feedback is very welcome, as I'm always excited to receive and read it. You can find me on Twitter @Oricalle.
> 
> I hope you have a wonderful day!


End file.
